Hello team, I wanted to get some opinions and advice please. We have a miniature poodle pup, nearly 13 weeks old. It's been hard, as you all know 😁 … I've realised I think I'm picking him up too much and am trying to stop. It started because he was small, he need carrying down our 3 back door steps to toilet, he needs lifting off the sofa of he goes up there because it's too high for him to jump down safely (same as the steps), if he escapes the room he won't come back to me by words, so I lift him up. We carry him round the neighborhood and garden cos he can't be put down yet because he hasn't had 2nd vaccinations yet etc
So many reasons to pick him up
But now, 4 weeks later I realised lifting him was an easy way to control him, like he won't go in his pen/crate area unless I lift him, or trick him with food. He is smart enough to know I'm tricking him and he won't go in the pen to eat etc if we are close enough to shut the door on him. So sometimes/usually, the only way to make him nap/stay near his bed is to lift him into his pen. I can't imagine this is a great dynamic for me to be setting. But he won't do what I ask him. So until I've trained him further, what should I be doing in terms of lifting him? Or is it ok to just trick him with high value treats and shut the door on him? It doesn't feel positive/constructive. The same with him on the sofa, I'm trying not to lift him, so what is the desirable way to get him down and teach him we don't want him up there?
We have a trainer coming Monday, thank God 😁
Appreciate any thoughts 🙏🐩
submitted by /u/disappointinglynotme
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